Human Flow by Chinese-born artist Ai Weiwei catapulted above a crowded list of new Specialty releases over the weekend, topping out a fairly unimpressive Friday to Sunday among limited releases. The Amazon Studios title bowed in three theaters, grossing $47K, averaging $15,667. Kino Lorber’s Tom Of Finland also opened to decent numbers in its exclusive New York bow, taking in $13K. Other more high-profile debuts averaged less than half of that. Searchlight’s Goodbye Christopher Robin took in $55,800 in nine locations, while Breathefrom Bleecker Street had a three-day $26,254 in four locations. MET Opera: Die Zauberflotefrom Fathom Events crooned to 900 theaters in its debut after screening at the recent New York Film Festival, grossing over $1.22M for a $1,361 average, the highest absolute gross among the new Specialties. Mason Films gave The Departurea single showing taking in $5,684, while IFC Midnight opened recent Fantastic Fest doc 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene in an exclusive run, grossing just over $4K. And distributor Super took Wasted to 11 locations, grossing $15,552. A24 expanded The Florida Project in its second frame grossing over $401K. Searchlight’s Battle Of the Sexes topped eight figures in its fourth weekend in theaters. Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate’s Stronger crossed $4M and Victoria and Abdul from Focus Features continues a regal reign in theaters, going over $11.3M in its fourth outing.

Ai Weiwei is one of the world’s most recognizable living artists and this weekend, he packed a decent punch with his latest documentary, Human Flow. Released via Amazon Studios, the Participant Media-produced title grossed $47K in its initial three theaters in New York and Washington, D.C., averaging $15,667, the highest per theater average among all films reporting numbers as of Sunday morning. Filmed over a year in 23 countries, the film follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretches across the globe in countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Germany, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, and Turkey.

Amazon Studios/Participant Media/Magnolia Pictures

“We are hopeful from this weekend’s start – with the support of director Ai Weiwei and our partners at Participant Media,” commented Bob Berney, Head of Marketing and Distribution at Amazon Studios in a Sunday statement. “The solid reviews and word-of-mouth behind the film will help find the right audiences who are passionate about this important issue.”

“It’s an epic story about the unparalleled displacement of individuals. It’s the largest displacement since World War II and that’s just simple fact,” said Participant chief David Linde earlier this week about the film, adding about the target audience in Human Flow’s opening weekend: “This is an audience that includes film lovers, activists and art lovers. It’s ultimately a very galvanizing experience.”

Human Flow will head to over twenty additional cities including L.A. at the Royal and Bay Area locations. Additional markets will be added throughout the rest of 2017.

A Bleecker Street/Participant project, Breathe, by director And Serkis and starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy debuted with comparatively less gusto. Released by Bleecker Street, the film grossed $26,254 in four locations, averaging $6,563. Breathe will expand to 10 new markets in the coming week, while expanding in New York and Los Angeles.

Kino Lorber

Tom of Finland performed in its debut in its exclusive bow at the Quad in New York. The title grossed $13K. Distributor Kino Lorber said the film starring Finnish actor Pekka Strang and is Finland’s entry for Best Foreign Language Oscar consideration had sold-out showings Friday and Saturday.

Commented Kino Lorber SVP Wendy Lidell, “We are delighted that just as the gay community in America embraced Tom of Finland’s drawings 50 years ago, they are now embracing this fun and entertaining* movie about the man behind the art.”

The film expands to Landmark’s Nuart in L.A. and the Embarcadero in San Francisco this coming Friday, October 20, while a larger expansion is set for November.

Goodbye Christopher Robin was slightly lower in its opening PTA, though it opened in nine theaters. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, Kelly MacDonald, Will Tilston about the creation of the popular Winnie the Pooh characters, the title took in $55,800, averaging $6,200. Searchlight said Sunday it will take the title to 12 new markets while expanding a bit in already opened cities in the coming week. The total number of theaters will be between 45 – 55 locations.

Sumerian Films opened American Satan in 55 theaters, grossing $132K ($2,400 average). The distributor said Sunday its goal it to “keep as many screens as possible for the second weekend and play the film through Halloween.”

IFC Midnight’s 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene played an exclusive run beginning Friday, grossing just over $4K. It will next head to L.A.

A24

A24 expanded Sean Baker’s The Florida Project to 33 theaters in its second weekend. Featuring Willem Dafoe along with a cast of mostly newcomers, the title continued to perform to solid numbers, grossing over $401K in 33 theaters, averaging $12,156. The film opened in four locations last weekend, grossing over $152K for a $38,156 PTA. The Florida Project has now cumed just under $624K.

Music Box Films added 10 runs for Chavela in its second frame. The title took in $19,778 in 14 locations ($1,413 average). The feature grossed $2,500 in its bow, averaging $5,125. It has cumed $61,162.

Mark Felt – The Man Who Brought Down the White House with Liam Neeson played 72 additional runs over last weekend. In 89 theaters, the feature grossed $123,707 in its third frame, averaging $1,390. It grossed over $56K in 17 locations in the prior weekend, averaging $3,317. Its cume is now $257K.

Fox Searchlight’s Battle Of the Sexes crossed eight figures in its fourth weekend in wide release. In nearly fourteen hundred theaters, it grossed $1.375M ($986 average), for a cume of over $10.38M.

Roadside Attractions

Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate’s Stronger went over $4M in its fourth weekend. In 174 theaters, it grossed $115K Friday to Sunday, averaging $661.

And Focus Features’ Victoria And Abdul starring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria continues its reign as the fall’s Specialty box office star, sailing passed eight figures in its fourth weekend. The distributor added runs, bringing its theater total to 900 this weekend, grossing $3.155M, averaging $3,461 (-39%). The film took in over $4.1M last weekend, averaging $5,659. Victoria And Abdul has cumed over $11.34M stateside.